The Sickness Of the Mind
by TheNeonWolf
Summary: A 'What-if' story based on the idea of what if when Daryl was captured by the Governor, Carl Grimes had been taken hostage as well. (First Story - be honest but gentle).
1. Confusion

_**Hello possible readers of this story... I uploaded this story earlier but unfortunately some of the parts were cut out so I have made sure there are no mistakes and also made this chapter a little longer. This is my first story so be honest but gentle. I'll try to keep mistakes at the minimal but please tell me if you find any. Please review!**_

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**Carl**

Carl was alone. Alone in the darkness that had been upon him for a time he had lost track of long ago. All his eyes would allow him to see was darkness and the faint outlines of objects that surrounded him.

He was in a chair that made him feel small when he was sat against it. Bonds of rope were tightly tied around his wrists and ankles preventing him from moving anything but his head. His hands had gone purple from the pressure of the knots and he had lost feeling in them a while back. His cheeks and lips were being pinched together by a grey piece of sticky tape stuck against his mouth to stop him from producing a sound that would be heard by anyone outside the room in which he sat. Scarlet red blood dribbled from his wrists and sprinkled down onto his jeans every time he pushed against the rope, causing the skin to be cracked and damaged. He didn't mind the pain. He was lost in his thoughts. He felt nauseated from hunger. His stomach churned begging for energy to access his body while his tongue rubbed itself against the top of his mouth, in search for the slightest sign of liquid to cure the horrible dryness and dehydration Carl had been feeling for a long time now.

The sickness that Carl felt caused time to drag on slower than ever... or at least it felt that way. It had probably not been that long. Carl didn't know, how was he meant to know being locked up in the darkest of rooms with no windows or even the slightest sign of light? Carl didn't even know how he got in the room. He only remembered who.

His dad had planned an attack on this 'Woodbury' to rescue Maggie and Glenn from this 'Governor' that kept getting mentioned. Carl had begged his father to let him come, and after continuous pleads and begs, Rick had finally submitted, letting him come along with himself, Michonne, Daryl and Oscar.

The car journey didn't take long and when they finally did arrive, it didn't take much to find them. It was the getting out in which it all went wrong. Michonne mysteriously disappeared from the small group of saviours for Glenn and Maggie leaving the four of them alone in a desperate gun battle for survival. His father kept his hand on Carl's shoulder at all times, not allowing him out of his grip, as they jogged through the endless whiteness of the smoke that they had created. Carl knew he would be safe in the steady grip of his Father's hand. But then, he let go.

**Rick**

Shane. How? What was Shane doing there? What was the possibility of Shane standing there in front of him? What the hell was going on? These questions raked Rick's mind as he watched Shane's figure circle towards him. Anger overtook Rick like a swarm of bees and before he knew it, Shane was on the floor. Dead. Again. Rick blinked. No. Hang on. He was wrong. It wasn't Shane. What? Rick tried to push away the nagging truth of what was really going on inside his head. Rick had spent a long time trying to get over Shane's death. He would sometimes replay the events of that fateful night and wonder if it was really the right thing to do. It was even worse that Carl was forced to do it. Carl... Rick looked around but the boy was nowhere to be found "Carl!" he shouted into the blinding fog of smoke. Suddenly, something took hold of his hand. He turned to see Maggie and Glenn, both in so much pain that they could collapse at any moment. They both looked as panicked as he was and all of a sudden Rick's ears burst into action to hear the painful reality. Gunshots were to be heard everywhere and they were the targets. He had to get them out of here before one of them got shot. So, taking one last wide eyed look back for his son to appear at any moment, he took a step back into the world of reality and continued on with his mission.

**Carl**

When Rick disappeared Carl didn't stop running. Gunshots were being fired from every angle and he had to get out of the line of fire. Carl, unfortunately, had absolutely no clue on where the hell he was going. So, hoping for the best, he took a sharp left, thinking that it may lead him in the right direction. It didn't. He ran straight into a tall man that he had never seen before holding a machine gun in one arm. The man grabbed him but Carl, out of pure instinct, raised his gun at the man's face and pulled the trigger. The man fell to the floor, lifeless.

Abruptly, shouts suddenly surrounded him and he saw shadows move in the darkness. He was about to keep running when something grabbed him from behind. For a second he thought it was his dad and relaxed until he felt the arms tighten around his waist, lifting him off the ground. Carl flailed in panic when his gun was pulled out of his hand. Defenseless, he felt himself get dragged onto the floor and held down. His arms were forced behind his back and were bound together tightly. He was then forced onto his feet again and pulled away, out of the sight of the people running around like panicked sheep outside.


	2. The Governor

_**Chapter 2 of The Sickness of the Mind. The last chapter didn't really have much information in it so I decided to post this chapter now. Sorry if the writing isn't your cup of tea but give it a go ok? Remember, this is my first story :) I try to make sure there are as little mistakes as possible but if there are some please accept my apologies.**_

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**Daryl**

Daryl was kneeling down in a medium sized room. It had a dimmed light that was pale yellow and Daryl could spy a few tables sat around the edges against the wall.

He had no idea what the people that had managed to disarm him were like. But since he had his hands tied behind his back and three guns pointed at his head, he doubted they would be having a nice picnic in the sunshine later on.

Suddenly, the large and heavy mahogany door slammed open and Daryl tensed himself. He watched as a smaller person was being pulled violently into the room. Damn. It was Carl. Daryl knew that Sheriff's hat anywhere. He watched as Carl desperately tried to wriggle his way out of the man's grip. He gave a grunt kicking his legs backwards. Daryl noticed that the man was actually trying not to hurt him, only hold him still which was obviously quite hard work since this was Carl.

"Somebody help me with this." the man grunted as he tried to control Carl's legs when the boy used his full body weight against the man. Daryl suddenly felt a flash of hope that he would escape when the man lost his grip on Carl for a second. The men that were keeping Daryl in place looked unsure about helping as Carl was just a kid so they watched, not knowing what to do, as Carl broke free from the man's grasp.

He was about to run for the door when he lost his balance, falling onto his face with a cry. The man that was trying to control Carl grabbed his shirt, dragging him to his feet again while one of the men with Daryl finally stepped up, taking control of Carl's legs and forcing him to his knees next to Daryl.

Daryl watched Carl carefully, eyes full of concern about what these people would do to him. The kid looked over at Daryl, everything about him made him seem like he was irritated and angry, except his eyes that produced an emotion that Daryl hadn't expected from a kid like Carl – fear. Daryl wanted to comfort the kid. In normal situations he didn't show his good and fluffy side, but right now, he'd do anything to show it to Carl.

The youth looked away and so did Daryl, who watched the door, patiently waiting for it to open. It did, eventually, and in stepped a man with a bandage around his left eye. Daryl spotted small specks of blood growing around the corners of the bandage, telling him that this man had recently got whatever wound was beneath this bandage.

One of the men inside the room with Daryl and Carl stepped forward, muttering quietly with the man. Within this small and quiet conversation Daryl heard one word that stood out very much to Daryl: 'Governor'. Was this man the 'Governor' that the woman Michonne had been so interested in getting? Daryl guessed he was, considering the way the men were watching this man.

Daryl once again cast a weary glance at Carl whose eyes were now shadowed by this hat making it impossible to tell what he was thinking. The Governor suddenly walked over to the two hostages, his eye's raked Daryl, and then Carl. He smiled at them, a fake smile. He stepped over to Daryl, studying his face before letting out a sinister chuckle. "Take this man to the arena." He said in the deep voice "I'll tell you what to do with him later." He stood up straight looking at the men with the guns.

"And the boy?" one of them asked. The Governor once again looked over at the poor kid "Don't you worry about him," he said with a smile in his voice, walking over to Carl and grabbing him by the shirt. Carl gave a grunt, using his whole body strength to try and pull away, but the Governor was able to pull Carl towards him with ease using a single arm, despite the struggles. Carl's eyes were lit with anger. He bit down onto the man's fingers, causing him to let go. While scrambling away his hat slipped off his head, he ignored it and continued on with his desperate flee for freedom.

Seconds later The Governor took a handful of the boy's hair dragging him back into his hands. Carl spat in his face, earning him a harsh slap around the face. Tears sparked in the boy's eyes but he didn't stop his useless struggles against the man that was at least twice his size. The Governor picked up the kid's hat, and as he was placing it on his head again Daryl pushed himself forward, onto his feet towards the Governor spitting "Don't you touch him!" This was Rick's kid. He hadn't done anything wrong. Daryl doubted he had even killed a man, at least not on purpose. And now he was being bullied by this random guy.

The Governor wrapped one arm around Carl's neck, turning to face Daryl so Carl was between them, helplessly squirming in the man's grip with, arm's still tied around his back. The Governor met Daryl's gaze hardily, saying nothing. Daryl watched as another man hit Carl on the head with the other end of his gun making him go limp in the man's arms. A bag was placed over his head for good measure and the Governor picked up the unconscious boy, putting him over his shoulder. A bag was then forced over Daryl's head as well and he was dragged away from the scene.


	3. Patience

_**This is the third Chapter of The Sickness Of the Mind. It's quite a short chapter so sorry about that. If there's any mistakes I'm sorry C: Please Review and Favourite if you like it!**_

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**Carl**

Carl was about to piss himself when his ears picked up the faintest sound of footsteps. That's when he did. Liquid dribbled down his jeans, being soaked into the material around his legs and trickling down onto the chair. Carl felt embarrassment flood into him even though no one was in the room just yet.

Carl knew who was coming. He tugged against his bonds again feeling friction strain against his wrists making him whimper with pain as he kept trying to free himself. Suddenly, his eyes were blinded, as light flooded into the room. He was faintly aware of a figure walking towards him, as his eyes adjusted to the light.

"Have a little accident did we?" a voice asked him. Carl pressed his head against the chair, away from the voice, feeling a pinch against his damp jeans. When Carl's eyes finally had adjusted to the brightness of the room he saw the face of the man that had taken him. The bandage still covered his eye and he could see a faint smile across the man's lips.

Suddenly he heard a ripping sound and a spasm of pain washed across his face as his mouth was freed from the piece of sticky tape that was once holding it in place. His head dipped from the pain and he felt as his mouth twitched, ready for action again.

He looked down as the Governor stared into his eyes. Eventually, The Governor stood up and his entire body relaxed. He managed a quick glance upwards as the man started to pace "I am going to ask you a series of questions," the Governor said to Carl "And you are going to answer them." He stopped, looking at him. Carl didn't reply. He was too exhausted. He wouldn't answer the questions anyway, he wouldn't betray his group. He remembered how Glenn and Maggie had been held hostage and now it was his turn. They were strong, he doubted they had told the Governor much, or at least they had tried not to, and he would try not to too.

**Rick**

Oscar was dead. Maggie was forced to shoot him in the head during the gun fight. Rick was crouched outside along with Maggie, Glenn and Michonne now, watching as the soldiers of Woodbury's eyes roamed the ground below waiting for their second appearance, the appearance that was definitely going to happen. There was no way Rick was going to leave his son alone in that place.

After finding out Daryl was also missing, rage consumed him as the realization that they must have both got captured which meant Carl was in danger. Carl. His only son could be dead or about to die, right now. Rick had no idea what this 'Governor' guy was like but he didn't like the sound of him. Especially since Michonne had come back covered in blood from where-ever she had gone, Rick guessed the Governor had something to do with it.

So, without a flash of doubt in his mind, he readied himself for their second attack.


	4. It's Only Just Beginning

**_Sorry didn't update for a short while. I had this updating phase where I updated it really quickly 'cause I had so much time, but now the term has began again, revision has clogged up by timetable so may take longer to update. Fourth Chapter of The Sickness of The Mind. Promise the next chapter will be better and longer. Remember - 'It's Only Just Beginning'. Sorry for any mistakes and please Review!_**

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**Daryl**

His brother Merle stood in front of him. There was as much shock swimming in his eyes as there was in Daryl's. The Governor was forcing them to fight. Daryl knew his brother; there was no way he would obey this command.

Walkers closed in around them and they both turned to face them, backing up against one another. Merle whispered a quick assurance to Daryl that they would get out of this. Knowing Merle he was probably thinking of a plan right now. He didn't need to. Before they knew it clouds of smoke came out of nowhere and they were saved.

Daryl felt a hand grab his arm, it was Rick. He was dragged out of the arena, Merle following and they began to run. They suddenly halted and Rick spoke "Carl?" he said, worry milking into his eyes. "He's here, the Governor got him," Daryl told Rick in the darkness. Merle looked at them "The Governor got the kid?" he asked "Well, he's as good as dead" he said with a small snort. "Don't say that!" Daryl growled at his brother "Do you know where he would be?". Merle shrugged "Probably, but why should I care about Officer Friendly's kid eh?" before Daryl could reply torch lights suddenly surrounded them.

"Put your hands up!" a soldier shouted at them. Daryl and Rick looked at each other, and Rick pointed a gun from where the soldier's voice had come from, hearing a cry as he pulled the trigger. There was then a shocked pause, and they took this opportunity to duck away from the light, before the randomly aimed gunshot noises filled the air, and forced their way out of the blinding brightness.

They began to run, Daryl dragging Rick out by the arm "We'll come back for him, with more men and bullets" he assured him in an almost gentle tone. Rick nodded, running quickly into the twilight of leaves and forest.

**Carl**

It took a while for the Governor to start talking. For a while he just stood there, staring at Carl in a slightly slouched position with his arms crossed. Carl could tell he was trying to intimidate him so he showed no signs of fear as the Governor stared at him. He couldn't bear to look into the Governors one eye without doing this, however, so he kept his face down, trying to pretend he wasn't there.

Eventually the Governor walked over to a table and picked up what looked like a scalpel. Carl tensed. The Governor looked back to see the boy staring at the scalpel and smiled "Don't worry, I won't use it. As long as you answer my questions and you _don't lie_." Carl's fists clenched and he bit his lip to stop it from trembling.

"How long have you been staying in the prison?" The first question rang around the room loudly. There was no reply. The Governor sighed "I don't want to hurt you kid, I really don't." The Governor walked over to him slowly, making a long thick cut up his arm. Carl clenched his teeth, only letting a small noise erupt from his lips. He continued to watch the Governor, staying silent and wondering what he would ask next.

There was a pause as The Governor looked up thoughtfully for a moment "What's your name?" he asked Carl in a gentle yet harsh tone. Carl wasn't going to reply to that one either. Why would he tell this horrible man his name? "Oh come on," the Governor chuckled "I don't want to have to call you kid when we're having a conversation do I?" Carl remained silent, leaning as far as he could away from the man's hot breath against his face.

The Governor's face suddenly hardened and he felt something cold against his little finger, then endless pain washing over his hand. Carl let out a cry as he felt his little finger come loose off his hand and get torn away from his flesh. Carl's breathing sped up as he saw blood begin to ooze from the wound. The Governor held up the finger to his face then dropped it on the ground.

He then took a handful of the boy's hair roughly and brought him closer to his face. Carl tried to pull away but the man only gripped him harder. "What. Is. Your. Name?" Carl's teeth clenched. He could feel sweat and tears falling down his cheeks "C-C-Carl..." he managed to choke out of his mouth. The Governor let go and Carl allowed his head to hang. He closed his mouth and his breathing slowed down. "There. That wasn't so hard was it?" the Governor said, a slight smile in his voice. Carl did the biggest glare he could at the man when he looked up but it only made him laugh. "Now let me ask you a few more questions" he said in a hushed voice, holding up the scalpel in his hand.


	5. Breaking

**Chapter 5 -The SIckness of The Mind. Being mean on Carl I know. Promise I only do this to fictional characters... xD Anyways, enjoy and review!**

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**Carl**

Carl could feel spit dribbling from the corners of his mouth mingling with the dried blood that crusted upon his cheeks. He groaned, opening his eyes that tingled with exhaustion as he realized he'd fallen asleep in the chair he was still bounded to. His entire body was aching. He could feel the sharp stings of the long cut the governor had recently made and the overwhelming throb of where his two fingers had once been.

After the Governor had shown Carl that he wouldn't hold back from hurting him he continued to ask him questions. Carl still didn't answer, he wasn't going to break that easily. So, the Governor cut the thumb on the same hand off as punishment and left him to 'think things over'. He hadn't put any restraints on Carl's mouth however, as there was no need to. He warned Carl that if he tried calling for help, he'd cut the rest of the fingers on that hand off. Carl of course did not doubt that he would do this and believed what he said. The Governor also left the light on, which didn't help to cure the dizziness that spun around Carl's head at the present time.

His dry mouth was still tickling the back of his throat for water and his stomach still churned for the energy that wasn't going to be given to it. Vomit was soaked into his jeans as well as his piss causing his legs to itch like hell. He raised his head, squinting at the door before his head lolled back and he almost blacked out again. He shook his head, trying to free his mind from the soft cloud that was seaming into his consciousness, aware that his hat fell off onto the floor in the process. Sweat dribbled down his face, he was boiling. The light wasn't helping; it felt like it was burning him up from the inside. It probably was.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing the terrifying figure of the Governor. There was an agonising screech as he dragged a chair over to sit opposite the boy and he sat down. The Governor sighed as he relaxed into the chair.

**The Governor**

The kid's eyes were half open, constantly closing and opening again as the boy struggled to remain conscious. The boy looked terrible. There were dark rings around his eyes which had lost their spark and colour. The Governor could see sweat soaked into his hair, plastering it to his head and heavy panting was coming from the boy's mouth as he fought himself to remain awake. This was good.

At first The Governor had wondered to himself why he had taken this boy as a hostage. It was when he realised how much hatred but also love he bore for the boy that he knew why. Ever since Michonne had murdered his daughter all he had felt was anger and the bitter desire for revenge.

The kid reminded him of her but the boy was not his child. All he could feel was envy for the parent that still had a living child, if the parent was still alive. He hated the boy more than anything for his resilience and strength in the harsh world that he now lived in and how he had somehow managed to survive for such a long time. But this strength and determination within the boy also drew him to a love him. He was what his little girl would have become if she had survived, if the Governor had kept her safe. This was the original reason for taking him as his own. He wanted to keep the boy as a reminder of his daughter and how he would one day get revenge on this woman, Michonne, and on that group in the prison. It was when the second attack on Woodbury occurred and the Dixon brothers were rescued that he realised he would need the boy for something else: Information and, hopefully, the opportunity to get his hands on Michonne and the group in the prison, who'd given her the chance to snatch his daughter's precious life away from him. The endless craving for revenge and the opportunity to use the boy that he had come across was stronger and more powerful than this spark of love and hatred in one in which he felt for Carl. And although he was just a child, he felt it unbelievably necessary to punish him for the crimes he did not commit, to scare them, to scare him and to make him feel his pain.

**Carl**

Carl struggled to remain focused on man that sat in front of him. He appeared to be in some sort of daze, probably day dreaming when he suddenly took what looked like a bottle from his pocket. What it contained was heaven to Carl's eyes as the Governor unscrewed the lid and tipped the water into Carl's mouth. Carl closed his eyes as liquid slid down his throat washing away the horrible dryness that had coated his mouth and his tongue.

He drained the bottle which the Governor pocketed before taking out some small slices of what looked like bread. He then tore little pieces off, feeding them one by one to Carl. His stomach began to beg for more as each piece added the energy needed for Carl to survive to his body, reminding it of how well-fed Carl had once been.

When he finished, Carl sat back with a sigh and rested his head against the hardness of the chair. He could feel The Governor still watching him but he took a moment, using his new found energy, to wrap his head round the situation once more.

He still felt drained, his entire body hurt and his hand was raw with pain. He suddenly let out a groan, despite the goodness that he had just felt, hanging his head as The Governor opened his mouth to speak.

"You're probably wondering why I am keeping you here by now." He said, staring at the boy. Carl's face gave out a slight frown as that was all it could manage. He was keeping him here because he was an insane psychopath that had taken Maggie and Glenn hostage and tortured them for no apparent reason.

The Governor leaned forward slightly "I need you, Carl – or I might need you, depending on how important you are to the people who are – or were taking care of you. You live in a prison right? The one that was once overrun? You must be a pretty tough kid, or you were. Now I'm going to make you a deal: if you keep quiet, and answer all my questions, I will take you back to your group and I won't hurt you any more than I already have, and, if not... well we'll deal with that when we get there," Carl listened intently, hanging on to every word. The Governor paused "Do we have a deal then?" he asked Carl. Carl coldly stared into the man's eyes but did not answer. He would not fall for bribery. It was probably a lie anyway. Carl did not trust this man, and he had a good reason why.

Suddenly anger thundered into The Governor's eyes and he punched him in the face. Carl gave a cry, pushing against his bonds and struggling to move his feet. He felt another wave of pain ripple through his face as the Governor punched him again hearing himself yell. The Governor began to beat him up, and Carl sat there and took it. Blood poured out of his nose and he felt as blood sprang from his lips. With every punch he let out an even louder shout of shock as the agony began to stick. When the Governor finished Carl could feel his entire face throbbing and his head was pounding like crazy. He let out small whimpers as The Governor stood up. He picked up his hat and placed it back on Carl's head again before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.

**The Governor**

Smart kid. The Governor could see that bribery was obviously not going to work. He was planning to take him to the prison anyway. Eventually. First he would find out more. One way or another, he was going to get that kid to talk, he just had to make him snap. The Governor was now glad he had swiped a kid, although this kid seemed to have created a tough shell of hardness around himself, it would be easier to break him than it would be an adult.

He didn't actually know what had driven him to beat up a helpless child, but it felt good and very satisfying. It would help later on anyway, in their next conversation. The Governor allowed himself to smile at the memory of the cries of pain spurting from the boy's mouth. The smile turned into a grin and then evolved into a laugh. An uncontrollable laugh as the madness he could feel within himself began to break free from its prison.


	6. Plan and Attack

**Hello readers - sorry this chapter took so long and it's pretty short - I'll update it real soon. Anyway chapter 6 of The Sickness of The Mind. By the way, please tell me if I missed out a member of the group in the prison - I wasn't bothered to actually check xD Also, Slight time skip when the POV changes, but I'm sure you'll figure that out. Please review and tell me how I can improve, if you want. Just don't send hate.**

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**Rick**

Rick opened his eyes, to find himself staring at the stony grey wall of the prison. He blinked, rolling over to sit up in his cot. Then he remembered. Carl. He instantly stood up, Carl had been gone for two days now and they had still not returned to Woodbury. He felt a twinge of anger, they had needed rest, but he could not wait. His gut was screaming at him to go on his own, but he knew he couldn't do that, he couldn't abandon the group.

He walked out of his cell to find the group were sitting around the table in a circle. He heard a few mumbles drifting away from their mouths and realised they were planning for their second attack. A wave of relief hit him as he recognised that they hadn't forgotten about his son, but also irritation that they had started without him. It was _his_ son after all. Daryl looked over to him and stood as Rick walked over to them "Why didn't you wake me?" he questioned them angrily. "You needed rest; you hadn't slept for at least 24 hours." Daryl said shortly. Rick sighed, he hadn't slept because he couldn't stop thinking about Carl; what would he be going through right now? Was he even alive? Rick needed to find out; he blamed himself for Carl's capturing, it was his fault for letting go of him. He shuddered, remembering his vision that night.

It wasn't real. It couldn't be real. Shane was dead. All that mattered now was getting Carl out of that hellhole. The only problem was, he could see her. She was everywhere; Lori. He didn't understand why but it seemed to fill the dark hole that had sunk deeper into his heart; he felt as though she was leading him somewhere. He knew she wasn't but his heart was longing for his feeling to be true. He had chosen to ignore this constant yearning for Carl.

He looked at the group. Maggie was looking away from him with Glenn's arm wrapped around her shoulders, Merle was leaning against the wall of the prison, a slight smirk across his face, and Carol was standing with Beth who was rocking Judith gently while Hershel was sat down, his crutches leaning against the table. Michonne was also there, along with the two new members of their group; Sasha and Tyreese. They had managed to get into the prison through the back. The other three members of their group had died but they had pulled through, finding Beth and Hershel just in time.

Daryl looked away for a second before meeting his eyes once again as Rick opened his mouth to speak "What'd I miss?" Daryl drew in a breath "We've decided we're ready to go get 'im tonight." Rick nodded. Daryl looked him in the eye "But we don't think you should come." Rick stood there for a minute allowing the shock of what Daryl had just told him to sink into his head. Everyone was watching him now. He shook his head "No... No, I'm coming. It's my fault... I gotta be there for him."

"We'll be there." Daryl told him "Me, Tyreese, Michonne and Glenn." Blinking, Rick rubbed his face "Wh-why?" he stumbled upon his words, looking away before meeting Daryl's eyes again "You're his father, if anything 'appened to you Rick... well, I think Carl's been through enough as it is..." he trailed off. Rick knew he was talking about Lori. Closing his eyes he pinched the bridge of his nose, he wanted to come but he knew Daryl was right, they all were. Carl had only recently lost Lori, if he lost Rick no one would be there for him... if he was still alive. He sighed "Alright then." He gave Daryl a trusting look. The other man nodded, turning back to the rest of the group. Rick huffed, walking forward to help the others with the plan.

**Carl**

Carl was hanging his head when he heard the faintest of noises grow from outside of his room. It sounded like... gunshots. Carl lifted his head ever so slightly to get a clear idea of how far the shrouding noise that sounded like a light knocking on a table was away from him. It grew louder and he felt his muscles tighten with nervousness. He was unsure of why but he thought it may have been coming for him. He blinked thinking, maybe it was his dad. He felt a flutter of hope in his chest compelling his wrists to begin to push against his bonds again. The noise grew quieter so his ears could no longer pick up on the sound that had given his heart a sudden beat of hope but he kept on pushing, hearing himself groan with effort. _Come on come on come on_... He bit his lip in pain, his head jolting upwards as the door swung open. He thought it may be his dad... or the Governor. His eyes squinted as the figure stepped slowly into the room, hearing himself breathe in shock, it was Andrea.


	7. Hope

**Chapter 7 - Sickness of the Mind. Decided it'd be pretty cool to have some from Andrea's perspective. I also have an exact idea of where I'm going with this story now so just hold on :) Review and favourite if you like it. Also - if you want you can request on some other things to write, I'll do most things to do with The Walking Dead and plenty of other books, TV shows and films too - if I've seen or read them. I can write them when I find the time.**

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**Andrea**

Andrea gasped as the door unveiled the scrawny body of a boy tied up tightly into a chair. She knew that hat anywhere, it was Carl. Daryl had been right.

Earlier on she'd woken up to the screams and gunshots of another attack. She remembered grabbing her knife and gun and stuffing them into her pocket before running out of the house to find it was misty again. Whoever these people were, they weren't friendly. At least that's what she thought, until she literally crashed into the body of a man. Out of instinct she had pulled her gun out of her pocket and pointed it at the man who held a crossbow in hand. She could see a flash of recognition in his eyes and felt the same happen to her. It took a moment of her to realise who it was and when she did, she instantly picked herself up and dragged him into a street corner.

At first she just stared at him with shock until he pulled away from her "Daryl... I..." She tried to think of what to say "Why...?" she asked him. "What are you talking about?" He spat at her face "Daryl these are good people. Why attack them, they've done nothing to you. Is Rick here? Is Rick _alive_?" she whispered. "I ain't got time for this and I could ask the same about you." She stared at him. "I'm here because this is a good place taken care of by a good man, and you are ruining it!" she almost shouted.

He glared at her "Good man? Good man you say? Well I think you should take a closer look at the system this guy has going here, then you'd understand." She stepped forward "What the hell are you talking about?! When I found out you were the terrorists I wanted to leave to see you, but I never had the chance and I didn't know where you were! Why are you here? What are you doing here?" The questions spilled out of her mouth and there was a pause. "Few days back, maybe... a week, Governor took Maggie and Glenn when they were on a supply run, tortured 'em but we got 'em back. But then he got me and... Carl. I got out, as you know but Carl..." he quietened.

Andrea breathed, The Governor had Carl? "The Governor is a good man-"she tried to speak but Daryl cut her off "Well I don't think so, maybe you should take a closer look around," he looked over her shoulder "Shit." He said the word in a hushed whisper and pushed past her shooting at the soldiers that were currently surrounding his group. Andrea has looked back to see Maggie, Michonne and a man she didn't recognise. Her hand clasped around her knife and she thought about helping them, but then, a single consideration floated across her mind. What if he was lying?

She had paused loosening her grip around her knife and decided it was time to take a closer look around. So she did; and she had found Carl, tied to a chair, in the utmost room he could possibly be in within the institution. Daryl never would have found him; they would have got caught before they did. She stared at the boy who looked up at her with shock and thankfulness.

"Carl..." she breathed, hurrying forward and grabbing the knife from her pocket. She quickly cut him loose and allowed him to fall forwards into her arms. His hands gripped her tightly and he stood up, using her as his support. Andrea stared at him, eyes wide with dismay. So Daryl was right, The Governor wasn't all that he seemed to be. She thought for a second as she steadied the boy in her hands, maybe she could still figure it out with The Governor – no one had to die. Maybe he had a few problems that needed to be solved and then they'd be fine. Maybe... She gasped as she turned to see The Governor standing in the doorway.

**Carl**

"You shouldn't have come looking." He said sharply, walking towards Andrea who still held Carl tightly in her arms. Carl clutched onto her coat, glaring at the man. "Philip, I-"Andrea stuttered before shouting "How could you do this to a young boy?" she spat at his face as he marched over to them. He shook his head "I guess you could say he deserved it." Deserved it? Carl intensified his grip on her coat with resentment. This man was insane. He blinked, struggling to stay upright on his feet as exhaustion washed through his body. He shook his head, struggling to clear his thoughts as the muffles of the other people in the room talking travelled into his ears.

Suddenly, a loud boom shuddered through the room and Carl felt as Andrea's body fell onto his own. He yelped as her weight crushed his gaunt body and blood dribbled from the hole in her head onto his face. He felt as she was dragged off him and sat up to see The Governor hauling her out of the room. He looked over at Carl who scowled at him as best he could and shut the door, the keys clicking at the lock once more.

Carl rolled over onto his side, too tired to try to escape. His hunger still echoed across him empty stomach and his mouth was dry and rough. The gunshots slowly died down, and he wondered what had really happened outside the walls of his jail.


	8. Wrong Way!

**Hmm, quite a wait - yes, I apologise for that. I have been very busy and half-forgot, half-abandoned this story, but I knew all along I'd carry on at some point. I will not give up, so don't worry! I actually wrote this chapter ages ago but never found the time to proof-read it. Some continuity errors may be noticeable so please don't get mad. Anyways, I hope someone will read this chapter! Next chapter will be better because I have improved in my writing recently.**

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**Daryl**

Daryl grabbed onto Glenn wrist, dragging him and his incapacitated knee, which he gripped with a sodden hand, away from the haze of bullets. Quickly, he glanced around, spotting a small alleyway not too far from where they stood. "This way." He grunted, dragging Glenn across to the alleyway and ducking behind a wall.

It was the night of their search for Carl, but so far, they hadn't made it through the first few set of houses. After finally convincing Rick that it was a bad idea to come, they'd quickly made a plan and him, Glenn, Michonne, Maggie and Tyreese to come. They had left at sunset and entered Woodbury cautiously. Then it all went wrong. It seemed that The Governor had been expecting them. They were quickly found and were now fighting to stay alive. To make matters worse, Daryl had crashed into Andrea, who just happened to be alive now, who had tried to convince him that The Governor was a 'good man', and now Glenn had been shot and they'd both been split up from the rest of the group.

Glenn let out a moan, staring at his knee and gritting his teeth. He'd only been shot around thirty seconds ago and his entire leg was already soaked with red liquid. "Dammit!" Daryl spat, tearing some of his shirt off and pressing it down onto Glenn's knee "Put pressure on the wound." He told Glenn, taking his hand off and leaving Glenn to press the rag onto his injury.

Daryl stood up, managing a quick glance around the corner to see soldiers running around in panic and anger. Michonne, Maggie and Tyreese were nowhere to be seen – he hoped they were okay though. They'd already recently lost someone to this God forsaken place they didn't want to lose anyone else. Daryl looked back to Glenn and then looked down the alleyway to see a small door sitting at the end. He jogged over to it, searching for an escape route, only to open it to reveal a man.

The Governor turned to Daryl who aimed a gun at his head, only to feel hands grab his arms and find that soldiers had seized him from behind and were holding Glenn at gunpoint. "Whoa, easy archer," The Governor said putting his hands up and walking forwards. He frowned at the soldiers who held him "Let him go; I'd rather not talk to him when you fools are holding him still." He chuckled. The soldiers let him go reluctantly and walked away, carrying Glenn off and leaving Daryl and The Governor in the alleyway together. Daryl's gun had been snatched away from him, and now sat in a soldier's pocket.

The Governor out a gun and pointed it at Daryl's chest. "Why are you here?" he asked him lightly. Daryl scowled at the man, eventually deciding The Governor had probably already guessed why he was here anyway "We came to get our boy back." He growled.

The Governor smiled at him, shifting his weight onto his other foot "Well sorry to break this to you but you're not going to be seeing him just yet," Daryl frowned at the man, his fingers itching to punch him in the face if it weren't for the gun pointed at his chest.

"What do you mean?" he asked him.

The Governor breathed in "Well, you'll know when you know won't you? But let me tell you – he is alive," he sniggered "I wouldn't have killed him right away if I was going anyway. However, I've still got some... stuff, I need to handle to do with the kid – Carl is it? I guess your group is just going to have to wait."

Daryl grimaced. He didn't like this one bit. What did The Governor want with Carl? His eyes moved to look at the gun pointed at his chest and The Governor spoke up again with a laugh "Don't worry, I won't kill you now because I want you to send this message on to the rest of your group," he paused for effect, lightly tapping his foot against the ground "Come looking again, and I'll kill him."

The Governor eyed him slowly "Martinez!" he called and a strong looking man with a machine gun appeared "Escort this man out, they won't be terrorising this place again." Daryl glared at the man as he was removed from the premises to find Glenn, Michonne, Maggie and Tyreese outside and waiting for him. "What'd he want?" Tyreese asked as they walked back in defeat to the prison.

Daryl sighed "We can't come looking again." He spat, glancing back at Woodbury.

"Why not?" Tyreese questioned him.

"Cause if we do they'll kill him."


	9. Break In

**Hurrah, updated again within under a week, celebrate! Or don't, judging by how depressingly horrible this chapter is (a bit like the others but worse). Just be glad I didn't go into details. After writing this I promised myself I'd never write about something like this happening to Carl again - since I've done it twice now - because it's really not a nice thing to think about, never mind writing. ANYWAY, enjoy, favourite, follow, and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I apologise for mistakes or continuity errors.**

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**Carl**

After Andrea's death The Governor had removed her body from Carl's room and disappeared for what felt like days, until Carl had the horrifying thought that he'd never return again, leaving him here to starve to death.

When he finally did return he immediately got to it, asking Carl various questions with a metal rod in his hands. Whenever he did not get an answer (which was every single question) he would grab Carl by the shirt and pull it down his shoulder. He would then smack Carl between the neck and shoulders with the metal bar, leaving Carl to shriek with pain and anguish for a second before continuing onto the next question.

Right now, he was standing over Carl who was leaning on his side, cowering before the man. The Governor had tried everything to get something out of him. He'd beaten him up multiple times, slit small but painful cuts along his arms and also his stomach, whipped him across the shoulders and threatened the lives of his family and friends countlessly. But what happened next, Carl did not at all expect.

Eventually, Carl could see the Governor growing angry. It had been dribbling into his eyes for a while now, a calm anger that was only seen through the thin line along his lips. He stood up and walked back, putting the rod on the table. He then returned holding a knife in his hands. Carl's body tensed, but what happened next surprised him. The Governor lifted Carl up, so he could stand on his unsteady feet.

As soon as he had the opportunity, Carl threw himself at the Governor, with all the energy he had left. The Governor quickly took control of his wrists as Carl's drive was quickly sapped away. He carried on squirming in the man's hands as the Governor took Carl's shirt by the scruff and began dragging it off his bruised body. Carl didn't understand why man was doing this, but the vulnerability he felt made him anxious about what would happen next.

He thrashed at the Governor with his arms, kicking his legs at the empty space in front of him. The man took a hold of Carl's middle with his cold arms and began to unbuckle Carl's belt. Carl was fighting for life now, he began to scream as his trousers were pulled down and the man brought him closer to his body. Carl was completely exposed to the man's wrath, squirming helplessly beneath his bare arms as the man wrapped one arm tightly around his neck and with the other hand...

Carl breathed in as The Governor tortured him in the most horrifying way he could. No pain. No blood. Just memories and darkness, spreading throughout Carl's mind like a tidal wave. Swamping and transforming the happy memories into dreams that probably never happened and screaming through his gut and bone, forming the sinister stiffen of his now weak and feeble muscles.

Carl's mind clicked and turned like clockwork, trying to find a way out of this.

And he did, with the only way he could.

He answered The Governor's questions.

Yes, in Carl's mind he truly had failed his father.

He wondered if he even deserved to be rescued.

Or whether he'd ever escape...

He doubted it.

For the happy memories he once adored now only lingered as ghosts in his skull.

And his life from before with his father was now nothing but hopeless wishes.

And happiness was nothing but a blur.

This was the only reality that Carl knew now.

Suffering.


End file.
